In
the job featured here I am operating a Liebherr Tower Crane, it is
at the Capitol building restoration project in Albany, New York.
The climb alone takes approximately 15 grueling minutes and you
sweat up a storm after arrival! The view, once on top, is
breathtaking on a sunny day. The Laborers of Local
#190 and Masons and Bricklayers Local #2 that we are working
with, also the Roofers from Local #241 and Sheet metal
workers from Local #83 are a great group of individuals to work
with throughout the day. We have been working largely in the blind
and signaling is a very important part of our job. My main man on
the ground is Dan Rafferty from local 190 who is very professional
and highly reliable. We must rely on our ground man explicitly for
safe directions.

This
is a two man job and the second operating engineer is John Kakely,
an operator that I met at the Bechtel site. We are working for
Monaco Restorations out of Sturbridge Mass. Originally, Ian
Phillips and Todd Kelafant were the operators, then Todd left and
I came, then Ian left and Larry Van Heertum joined me, then Larry
left and Marc Dorsey joined me. Since then Phil Peta and Herm
Bussie and Chuck Egan and Mark Mincher have all taken turns at one
time or another. Not many operators enjoy a 195 foot climb first
thing in the morning. Its also a very stressful job with allot of
other difficulties and lack of newer guides and instruments. It
makes for a long day high up overlooking the Capital of New York
State. No air conditioning, bathrooms, or just the ability to get
up and walk around and take a breather. That is why it is
important that is is manned by two qualified crane operators.

Terra Cotta Roof Rehabilitation at
the Capitol Building for State of New York

Monaco
Restorations was selected by the State of New York to perform the
first phase of historical masonry repairs to the State Capitol
Building. The Capitol building is 102 years old and water
infiltration as been a serious problem since it was completed. The
$8 million dollar project is the beginning of a full-scale
historical restoration of the Capitol Building roof, skylight,
terra cotta and stone. Phase #1 is the beginning of a 10 year
master plan to renovate the entire exterior structure. There were
55 gallon drums scattered around the inside of the building
capturing the water leaking in from the roof. People had to
remember to empty them or they would overflow, describes Jim
Jamieson, State Architect for the last four years and a wealth of
knowledge on the history of the structure. A roof rehabilitation
project may not sound very interesting on the surface however, the
complexity and historical significance of this effort is very
important to the state and the nation.

Monaco
craftsmen have been involved with several key steps along the way.
Initially they removed and waterproofed the very intricate granite
gutters that serve as the rain gutter system for the roof. The
granite gutters can weigh thousands of pounds with complex
carvings and designs on them. In addition the granite gutters
needed to be re-attached to the building with stainless steel
rods, something that was not in place previously. Now they are not
just ornamental but much more effective in the roof system design.
The next step involved Albany Local 2 Masons and Albany Local 190
Laborers and Roofers from Local 241 , removing and
replacing the historic Terra Cotta fencing, finials and roof hip
tiles. There are 274 different styles of terra cotta tiles on the
massive roof structure that add up to thousands of actual terra
cotta pieces. Each tile needs to be replicated by hand at a plant
in Ohio and installed by Albany Local 2 Masons without seriously
damaging any of them. Moving thousands of terra cotta tiles from
Ohio to Albany then lifted almost 200 feet to be installed with a
perfect technical precision and historical skill is quite a
daunting task. Monaco' craftsmen are up to task.

"I
have been very satisfied with the quality of the work and the
craftsmanship of the Monaco Team. I am especially impressed with
the attention to detail and the experience that Monaco
Restorations brings to the project and the team. It is good to see
the strong working relationship between the Architects, the
contractors and the State".

$8
million roof and terra cotta restoration project on the most
prestigious state owned building. This is the home of the Governor
and New York State Senate.

Above
are photos from the archives of the original building of the
Capitol and some photos of the fire of 1912.

The
Capitol building is a marvel of 19th-century architectural
grandeur, built by hand of solid masonry over a period of 25
years, under the direction of five architects. When Gov. Theodore
Roosevelt declared the Capitol complete in 1899, its cost had
exceeded $25 million. Free tours are offered daily at 10 a.m.,
noon, 2 and 3 p.m. and by special appointment. Above are photos
from the archives of the original building of the Capital and some
photos of the fire of 1912.

There
are four floors, housing more than 500 rooms, including the State
Assembly, Senate and Governor’s office.

“It’s
very eclectic,” said George McCroy, guide with the New York
State Capitol Tour Program. “There’s Gothic Revival,
Romanesque and Moorish influences.”

Three
staircases will make your head spin with the amount of detail and
beauty in the carvings of stone.

The
Assembly Staircase, completed in 1879, was designed by Leopold
Eidlitz and is built of sandstone and granite and Gothic in style.
The Senate Staircase is also referred to as the Evolutionary
Staircase because of the carvings of animals that decorate it.
Built largely of sandstone, it was constructed between 1883 and
1885. The Great Western Staircase, or the Million Dollar
Staircase, which actually took $1.5 million to construct and 14
years to complete, is the most elaborate of the three. Completed
in 1896, the staircase is a celebration of the stone carver' art
and includes portraits of many famous New Yorkers

The
Senate Chamber is embellished in 23-karat gold leaf, with onyx
from Mexico and marble from Sienna, Italy, completing the
impressive chamber. The acoustics are so good in there that some
senators have been known to walk into one of the two massive
fireplaces to carry on a private conversation, said McCroy.

There
are elaborate murals throughout the Capitol, including the work of
New York City muralist William deLeftwich Dodge, who painted the
ceiling murals that embellish the Flag Room, housed beneath a
40-foot high rotunda. His murals chronicle important events in New
York state military history, from the earliest sovereigns on the
colonial frontier to the impact of the Iroquois Indian Nation, the
French, Dutch and English influence.

Role:
SubcontractorStructure: 6-story buildingMasonry: Terra
cotta fencing, finials, and tiles. Granite gutter system
restoration.Work Performed: Complete removal of all terra
cotta tiles on the multi peak building. Installation of new terra
cotta tiles, fences, finials and roof lip tile. This is a first of
a kind installation of this complex project.

Tower
cranes are a common fixture at any major construction site.
They're pretty hard to miss -- they often rise hundreds of feet
into the air, and can reach out just as far. The construction crew
uses the tower crane to lift steel,
concrete, large tools like acetylene torches and generators, and a
wide variety of other building materials.